Ethiopia: Physicians (per 1,000 people)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 90.67% from 0.08 in 2018 (13.78% a year on average, compounded). Since 1960 it is up 1,489% from 0.009 in 1960 (4.49% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 35 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Ethiopia's physicians (per 1,000 people) rose 0.04 on 2022 (from 0.11 to 0.14).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1981 to 2022), the average change was +0.00167 and a typical year strayed about 0.00534 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.04 in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.005 in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Ethiopia had the 50th highest value of the 58 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Ethiopia in the 2023 ranking

• Benin — 47th of 58: 0.22
• Mali — 48th of 58: 0.19
• Côte d'Ivoire — 49th of 58: 0.17
• Zimbabwe — 51st of 58: 0.14
• Senegal — 52nd of 58: 0.11
• Yemen, Rep. — 53rd of 58: 0.1

What this measures

Physicians include generalist and specialist medical practitioners.

Limitations: The WHO compiles data from household and labor force surveys, censuses, and administrative records. Data comparability is limited by differences in definitions and training of medical personnel varies. In addition, human resources tend to be concentrated in urban areas, so that average densities do not provide a full picture of health personnel available to the entire population.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 29 values

Physicians (per 1,000 people) in nearby economies

• Angola — 0.24 (2022)
• Benin — 0.22 (2023)
• Botswana — 0.38 (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 0.15 (2022)
• Burundi — 0.08 (2022)
• Cabo Verde — 0.73 (2023)
• Cameroon — 0.14 (2022)
• Central African Republic — 0.07 (2023)
• Chad — 0.09 (2023)
• Comoros — 0.42 (2022)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 0.21 (2022)

More health data for Ethiopia

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 14.21% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 14.8% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 25.76 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 38.11% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 26.78 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 39.45% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 52.54 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 38.78% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 12.7% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Ethiopia's physicians (per 1,000 people)?

0.14 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 1,489% from 0.009 in 1960 (4.49% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 0.14 in 2023 and the lowest 0.009 in 1960.

How does Ethiopia rank?

50th highest of 58 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in physicians (per 1,000 people) unusual for Ethiopia?

In 2023, Ethiopia's physicians (per 1,000 people) rose 0.04 on 2022 (from 0.11 to 0.14). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1981 to 2022), the average change was +0.00167 and a typical year strayed about 0.00534 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.MED.PHYS.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Health Workforce Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Country data Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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